Thursday 30 September 2010

Wise & Wonderful Words ~ Libra Quotes

As the Sun settles into Libra, it's time to hear some wise and beautiful words from some well-known Librans. These quotes reflect their Moon sign as well as their Libra Sun.

There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise.
Gore Vidal, Author, Sun Libra-Moon Aries

Men get to be a mixture of the charming mannerisms of the women they have known.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Author, Sun Libra-Moon Taurus

I gave my beauty and my youth to men. I am going to give my wisdom and experience to animals.
Brigitte Bardot, Actress, Sun Libra-Moon Gemini

To me luxury is to be at home with my daughter, and the occasional massage doesn't hurt.
Olivia Newton-John, Singer, Sun Libra-Moon Cancer

Do you really think it is weakness that yields to temptation? I tell you that there are terrible temptations which it requires strength, strength and courage to yield to.
Oscar Wilde, Author, Sun Libra-Moon Leo

I studied voice for three months to get rid of my English accent. I changed my hair to blonde. I knew I could be sexy if I had to.
Deborah Kerr, Actress, Sun Libra-Moon Virgo

I've never lost perspective on who I am. Well, maybe briefly, but generally I'm pretty balanced.
Sting, Singer, Sun Libra-Moon Libra

Friendship is a pretty full-time occupation if you really are friendly with somebody. You can't have too many friends because then you're just not really friends.
Truman Capote, Author, Sun Libra-Moon Scorpio

I have personal beliefs and they are sometimes reflected in the movies I make, but I also reflect other points of view.
Tim Robbins, Actor/Director, Sun Libra-Moon Sagittarius

I look forward to being older, when what you look like becomes less and less an issue and what you are is the point.
Susan Sarandon, Actress, Sun Libra-Moon Capricorn

My advice to people today is as follows: if you take the game of life seriously, if you take your nervous system seriously, if you take your sense organs seriously, if you take the energy process seriously, you must turn on, tune in, and drop out.
Timothy Leary, Intellectual/Sixties Drugs Guru, Sun Libra-Moon Aquarius

The joy of life consists in the exercise of one's energies, continual growth, constant change, the enjoyment of every new experience. To stop means simply to die. The eternal mistake of mankind is to set up an attainable ideal.
Aleister Crowley, Author/Occultist, Sun Libra-Moon Pisces

http://www.mandilockley.com/

Wednesday 22 September 2010

Aries Full Moon Round Up

This Aries Full Moon falls on the oh-so sensitive Aries point – the zero degrees of the cardinal signs where the private becomes public and the personal becomes political (in the broadest sense of the word). Given that Full Moons are also times of full exposure, it seems that there’s no place to hide during this dynamic, fiery lunation. This early cardinal degree also reminds us that the energies of the recent cardinal t-square of Jupiter-Saturn-Uranus-Pluto are still ricocheting around our lives and in our world. We could reasonably expect issues that we hoped were behind us to rear their heads again under this lunation.

Full Moon times always make me feel unfocussed. Maybe it’s because there’s so much energy and light around and I suffer from a bit of over-exposure. If you spot me around town this Full Moon, I’ll be the one in the hat and the shades and the slightly lupine gait!

Yes, I somehow turn into a bit of a luna-tic and find myself too busy going a little too crazy to settle down to do anything specific, like writing any sort of enlightening blog post… Fortunately, most of my wonderful fellow astro bloggers seem to handle the energies better than I do and manage to put out some fabulous posts around Full Moon times, so here’s my pick of the best for the Aries New Moon. Enjoy!

Aries Full Moon: A Hiss is Just a Hiss from Moonkissd by Jessica   

Full Moon in Aries ~ Dance of Fire! from Auntie Moon

Also check out Auntie Moon’s Full Moon Giveaway for Aries

Full Moon in Aries from The Astrology Blog


Full Moon in Aries from Astro~Talk

Don’t forget that the Full Moon falls within hours of the Libra Equinox.
Here’s my take on what this Equinox says about the next three months ahead: Libra Equinox (written before the Full Moon madness grabbed me, in case you were wondering).

Happy Full Moon and Happy Equinox.

With love,
Mandi

Saturday 18 September 2010

The Libra Equinox ~ what will the next three months bring?


The ingress of the Sun into Libra marks one of the powerful quarter points of the year. In the Northern hemisphere the Sun in Libra heralds the Autumn Equinox and in the South, the Spring Equinox. Everywhere, this time of year brings a change of seasons.*

Astrologically. the charts for the Equinoxes and the Solstices can be seen as good guides for the next three months ahead.

In this chart (see below), the Saturn-Pluto square is now on the wane and the Saturn-Uranus oppositions are through, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s all over. For many of us, our lives have been turned upside down and we will be dealing with the fallout for some time to come. Over the last couple of years, many of us have had to face loss and adjust to reduced circumstances. It may have felt as if our hopes and dreams have been stolen away from us, but these difficulties have also forced us to look towards new solutions and seek fresh opportunities more in keeping with who we are now.

When we are suffering, it is difficult to step back and see things from a clear perspective, there are too many layers of emotional and material complication clouding our vision. Now these difficult, disruptive and limiting transits are playing their final tunes, we can finally stick our heads out from the fug and find the new, simpler, clearer perspective we will need in order to take the next step on our journey. If we’re looking for clues we could look towards the Jupiter-Uranus conjunction, currently in Pisces and Retrograde. This is an aspect of faith and hope, dubbed by Ebertin as the ‘thank the Lord’ configuration. To make the most of the gift this aspect brings, we must, therefore, find fresh hope and faith and then hold that feeling for the next three months. The Moon in Pisces is conjunct Jupiter and Uranus in the Equinox chart, reminding us that very often, hope lives very close to home and very near and dear to our hearts.

It will be early 2011 before Jupiter and Uranus are back in fast acting, forward moving Aries, so it might be wise to view these next three months as a time for rest, rejuvenation and recovery, if not literally, then psychically and emotionally. This healing theme is echoed by the ongoing Neptune-Chiron conjunction, still tight in the sky.

Perhaps another message for this Equinox is that we really don’t have to go it alone. Look at the chart below, virtually all the planets are travelling in pairs. This is a bold reminder that the sign of Libra, whose ingress this Equinox celebrates, is the sign of relationship, collaboration and partnership. Don’t be worried by the fact that the Sun is conjunct Saturn in Libra here. Saturn in Libra is strong and positive and this conjunction can only assist us in the ongoing work many of us have been doing over these last few months, consciously or otherwise, to bring our relationships to a healthier, more balanced place. The Nodes, here connected to Pluto and squaring the Sun and Saturn, drive this message home. It is by being with other people, connecting and sharing, that we will find this new perspective we are seeking.

Finally, we have the conjunction of Venus and Mars in Scorpio. These two have been traveling in tandem for some time now. Mars is strong in Scorpio, deep and passionate and intense. Venus is not so happy in Scorpio and finds it hard to access the easy, relaxed, cuddly, sensuality of its opposite sign Taurus, where it rules. Venus and Mars both need to dig deep in Scorpio and over the next few months, love needs to be sought under the covers, literally and symbolically!

Click on the chart to enlarge
Enjoy the Equinox and the Sun in Libra.

With love,
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

Recommended
Astrologize your Autumn Harvest by Joyce Mason

Data:
The Ingress of the Sun into Libra marking the Equinox occurs:
22 September 2010, 20:09 PDT (North America)
22 September 2010, 23:09 EDT (North America)
23 September 2010, 04:09 BST
23 September 2010, 13:09 EDT (Australia)

*Solstice/Equinox 101:
There are two Solstices and the two Equinoxes each year. These important power points occur as the Sun enters one of the cardinal signs of the zodiac - Aries, Cancer, Libra or Capricorn and astrologers use the charts for these events to make predictions for the following three months ahead.
The first Equinox of the year occurs when the Sun moves into Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, around March 21, marking the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. At an Equinox, day and night are of equal length.
The first Solstice occurs when the Sun moves into Cancer around June 21. In the Northern Hemisphere the Solstice marks midsummer, the longest day of the year and in the Southern Hemisphere it marks midwinter, the shortest day of the year.
The second Equinox, around September 21, when the Sun moves into Libra, marks the start of autumn in the N. Hemisphere and the start of spring in the S. Hemisphere.
Finally, the second Solstice of the year occurs around December 21 when the Sun moves into Capricorn, marking the shortest day (midwinter) in the N. Hemisphere and longest day (midsummer) in the S. Hemisphere.
The further away from the Equator you are located the more pronounced the Solstices will be. For example, very Northern locations will experience twenty-four hour darkness at the winter Solstice and twenty-four hour sunlight at the summer Solstice. If you are located very near to the Equator, day and night are more or less of equal length all year round.
The Solstices and Equinoxes have been important and much celebrated festival days for many thousands of years and are today still celebrated by modern Wiccans, Pagans and Druids.

Saturday 11 September 2010

Censorship in Saturn-Pluto Times

I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.

The above quote, attributed to 17th Century Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire, reminds us that freedom of speech and the attempt to suppress it – censorship - is an issue that spans back centuries, probably ever since humans first felt the urge to share their opinions and push the boundaries of their creative expression.

I was reminded that censorship is well and truly still with us when I attended FrightFest, a festival showcasing new fantasy and horror films, which takes place every August at the Empire Leicester Square in central London.

FrightFest is in its 11th year and the 2010 edition was the first time that official bodies have ever queried any of the titles in the festival’s line up. Two films were affected, the remade I Spit On Your Grave and the controversial A Serbian Film. Both were due to be shown as unedited, unrated versions, the norm for this type of film festival. However, Westminster Council, under whose jurisdiction the Empire Leicester Square falls, queried the content of both movies and stipulated that they be rated and passed by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) before they would allow them to be shown.

Echoing this censorship theme was the airing at FrightFest of new documentary Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape, which looks at the UK government and media reaction to the widespread, unregulated distribution of so-called ‘video nasty’ movies in the early 1980’s.

The censorship debate at this year’s festival seems very fitting, astrologically speaking, when you consider that the final exact alignment of the current Saturn-Pluto squares that begun in late 2009, occurred just four days before the start of the event.

Saturn and Pluto are two of the most heavy-hitting of the planets in astrology and when they line up in an angular relationship (such as a conjunction, square or opposition), it is reflected in the collective as restriction, control, oppression, conservative reaction and censorship. Restraints tend to be placed on collective freedoms by authority figures, their rationale often being that they are doing it ‘for our own good’. Collectively, we are made very aware of moral boundaries and taboos, but we are also asked to find the moral courage to face our darkest fears. This is because during Saturn-Pluto times, metaphorically speaking, we are visited by the devil, come to take us to hell and back, stealing our innocence along the way.

Following screenings at other major film festivals around the world,  A Serbian Film, was due to get its first public UK screening at FrightFest. Undoubtedly, the movie deals with ‘taboo’ subjects, containing graphic depictions of pedophilia, rape, necrophilia and incest.

When Westminster Council, which in this context can be seen as a Saturnian authority figure, queried this movie, FrightFest’s organisers duly submitted the film to the BBFC, who asked for 49 cuts, amounting to 3 minutes and 49 seconds of content. This occurred just a couple of days before the festival was due to start and festival organiser Alan Jones made the decision not to show the movie, telling the FrightFest audience, “I am not going to stand here and tell you that you are going to watch a heavily censored version of a film.” He added that the film had already been shown at many other film festivals around the world without a problem, although he acknowledged that the film was challenging and would be disturbing to some. In a media release Jones explained “Film4 FrightFest has decided not to show A Serbian Film in a heavily cut version because, as a festival with a global integrity, we think a film of this nature should be shown in its entirety as per the director’s intention," [1]

According to director SrÄ‘an Spasojević, the movie “is a diary of our own molestation by the Serbian government... It's about the monolithic power of leaders who hypnotize you to do things you don’t want to do.” [2] I cannot comment on the movie, as I did not view it, but you can read a plot synopsis on Wikipedia [2], but be warned, it makes for disturbing reading.

The reviews offer a flavour of how the film has been received and undeniably describe a Plutonic experience, with one review by Tim Anderson of Bloody Disgusting likening watching the film to having one’s “soul raped”. He goes on to say, "if what I have written here is enough to turn your feelings of wonder into a burning desire to watch this monstrosity, then perhaps I haven't been clear enough. You don't want to see Serbian Film. You just think you do." [3]

Another reviewer, Scott Weinburg says, “[the] film seems aggressively intent on delivering some moments that, indeed, you will never forget, even if you want to…I believe it's one of the most legitimately fascinating films I've ever seen. I admire and detest it at the same time. And I will never watch it again. Ever." [4]

Furthermore, user reviews on at imdb.com say that this movie is extreme, disturbing and hellish, exploring dark themes of evil, power and control. Most agree that watching this film is an experience you will never forget and urge prospective viewers to approach it with extreme caution. Reading these reviews makes it sound like watching the movie is akin to experiencing a condensed Saturn-Pluto transit, to the power of 1,000! [5]

Interestingly, the film chosen to replace A Serbian Film was Buried [6], a tense, claustrophobic piece, limited to just one point of view throughout, that of a man buried under the ground, confined in a wooden box. It seemed there was no escaping those Saturn-Pluto themes!

Echoing the censorship debate over A Serbian Film, the festival had already lined up a premiere of a documentary about historical censorship, Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape, [7] [8] which looks in-depth at the “Video Nasty” phenomenon of the early 80’s, a time when video was relatively new and totally unregulated. This left the field wide open for small film makers and distributors to find a brand new market for their movies. Not surprisingly, many of these films were low budget, violent horror movies designed to shock and so the “Video Nasty” was born. The public outcry in the UK was fuelled by pro-censorship lobbyists and widespread media campaigns, which feared that these films would deprave and corrupt the minds and morals of children and young adults. This eventually led to the government pushing through the Video Recordings Act 1984 which imposed a stricter code of censorship on videos than was required for cinema release. The Act also birthed the BBFC.

The push for censorship of these films began in earnest in 1982, its timing bang on for the exact alignment of the early 80’s Saturn-Pluto conjunction, which marked the beginning of the current Saturn-Pluto cycle. The timing of the Video Recording Act in ’84, synchs with the end days of the influence of that same conjunction.

The timing of this new documentary represents perfect closure for that particular slice of historical censorship, coming as it does at the tail end of the last major Saturn-Pluto alignment of the current cycle.

Ironically, but not surprisingly, the Director of Public Prosecution’s list of designated ‘Video Nasties’ soon became the list of must-see movies for teenagers all over the land! One of the films on the ‘Nasties’ list was I Spit On Your Grave, a film that remains controversial to this day due to its depiction of gang rape, followed by graphic depictions of violent revenge subsequently taken by the rape victim on her attackers.

An unrated version of a remade I Spit On Your Grave, [9] its European premiere, was scheduled to be shown at this year’s FrightFest, but like A Serbian Film, Westminster Council, expressed concern over the movie’s sexually violent content and insisted that the festival organisers have the film passed by the BBFC before they would allow it to be screened. The BBFC found that a total of 17 cuts (amounting to 43 seconds), needed to be made, in order for it be classified as an 18 certificate (roughly equivalent to the US ‘R’ rating) and shown at FrightFest. [10] In this case, the festival organisers made the decision to show the cut film, stressing that the cuts made, which were all to the rape scenes in the first half of the movie and not to the gory revenge scenes that followed, did not compromise the film’s artistic integrity.

Again, it’s interesting to note that a movie that came to notoriety at the start of the current Saturn-Pluto cycle has been remade for a new generation of horror fans during the last square, the final quarter, of the same cycle.

The film was on the whole well received by festival goers. I for one thought that is was very well done and while the rape scenes were very dark and difficult to watch, I took grim pleasure in seeing the rapists get their bloody comeuppance. It will be interesting to see the reaction it gets when it goes on general release

The chart for FrightFest 2010 [11] is telling, because the Saturn-Pluto square is very prominent, with Pluto, here representing horror, on the Ascendant and Saturn, representing the boundaries set by official bodies and authority figures, in the dark house of sex and taboo, the eighth. Saturn and Pluto also connect in hard aspect to Jupiter and Uranus, symbolising the unexpected shocks and surprises at this year’s festival, events which in retrospect, may seem a little exaggerated.

Communication planet Mercury is Retrograde in Virgo and also in the 8th, another indicator that the festival’s schedule would need to be reviewed and re-jigged. Certainly, the event was dogged with a few Mercury Retrograde-esque technical issues at the start.

Meanwhile, Neptune, the planet which symbolises movies and represents illusions and fantasies, opposes the Sun, also in the 8th, reminding us that for all the fuss, these films are merely works of fiction, no matter how challenging their themes and their images might be.

Or to put it another way, “to avoid fainting, keep repeating "It's only a movie...It's only a movie..." [12]

Notes and References

[1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/aug/27/a-serbian-film-frightfest
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Serbian_Film
[3] http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/film/4501/review
[4] http://www.fearnet.com/news/reviews/b18477_sxsw_2010_review_serbian_film.html
[6] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1462758/
[7] Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape is released on DVD in the UK on October 11th: http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/15903775/Video-Nasties-The-Definitive-Guide/Product.html
[8] You can see a clip of the Q&A/debate that followed the screening of Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape at FrightFest, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P2T-nuGTts  
[9] For more on I Spit on your Grave see http://www.ispitonyourgravemovie.com/  The film is due for general release this fall. At the time of writing, it is intended that the movie shown in its uncut version in the US.
[10] You can read the BBFC’s ruling on A Serbian Film and I Spit on your Grave http://www.bbfc.co.uk/press/newsreleases/bbfc-cuts-a-sernian-film-and-remake-of-i-spit-on-your-grave 
[11] Chart set for 26 August 2010, 5pm, London. The time used is the advertised start time of the first day of the festival.
[12]Tagline for banned “Video Nasty” The Last House on the Left, the first film by noted horror director Wes Craven http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_House_on_the_Left_(1972_film)
For more on the censorship issues at FrightFest see: FrightFest: return of the censor? http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/newsandviews/festivals/frightfest-2010-nasties.php
For more on the current Saturn-Pluto cycle see: http://mandilockley.blogspot.com/2009/11/saturn-pluto-part-3-politics-economics.html

http://www.mandilockley.com/

Tuesday 7 September 2010

The Virgo Super New Moon

On 8th September, the Sun and Moon conjoin at 16 degrees of Virgo for the Virgo New Moon.

This Virgo New Moon is actually a Super New Moon, because it occurs when the Moon is at its closest possible proximity to the Earth. This New Moon therefore will have a stronger energetic and gravitational pull, not just on the Earth itself, but on all of us.

So what is the message of this New Moon that we should heed?

Virgo is about how we serve ourselves and others and this Virgo New Moon makes very few aspects to other planets, save for an awkward semi-square to the Venus and Mars conjunction in relationship oriented Libra.

Therefore, this New Moon would be a good time to review how we are served by our relationships and how we serve those we are in relationship with. The fact that this is a critical time to do this is underlined by the fact that Venus is in the very last degree of Libra, the critical degree. Is this the last chance to sort out our relationships then? Of course not, but it is a very good time.

This ‘reviewing’ theme is very apt for a Virgo New Moon and is supported by a Mercury Retrograde in Virgo and the fact that all of the outer planets except Saturn are also currently Retrograde.

I hope this is a helpful Super Virgo New Moon time for you and you are able to use the energies to review, refresh, renew, reanalyze and reassess key relationships.

Remember though that the New Moon is a planning time, not an action time, but that the thinking you do now will prepare you for the action that needs to be taken around the time of the First Quarter Moon mid month and the dynamic Full Moon in Aries on the 23rd September.

Book Recommendation for the Virgo New Moon

Loving Yourself, Loving Another: The Importance of Self-esteem for Successful Relationships










Happy New Moon Time!
With Love
Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

Other Posts About Virgo:

A Celebration of Virgo
Virgos Verbalise ~ Quotes from famous Virgos

Wednesday 1 September 2010

Astrology for September ~ Going Backwards to Go Forwards


August is now over and the seasons are changing, but the planets keep on spinning and turning.  September begins with the Sun in exacting Virgo until 23rd September and Virgo’s ruler Mercury in retrograde until 12th September.

Outer Planet Update...
In terms of outer planet action, Uranus moved back into Pisces in August (see Astroair’s interview with Uranus here), Saturn and Pluto made the last of their series of restricting squares and Jupiter and Saturn made an exact opposition.

The Cardinal T-Square peaked in August, but it’s not all over yet, we will be living for some time with the repercussions of all that has happened, personally and collectively, over the last couple of years. As September begins, all the outer planets except Saturn are retrograde, making this is a good time to take a step back and review the last few months. What’s changed? What’s been lost? What’s been gained? If nothing else, most of us will have felt a marked shift in our perspective on life, relationships and our sense of what we need in order to feel secure. Don't be anxious if things seem to be going backwards...this is only temporary.

Come the 13th September, Pluto turns direct, just one day after Mercury goes direct. Pluto’s been moving backwards through the early degrees of Capricorn since April. You may have felt as if you were on shaky ground, but hopefully things will start to settle now and you can finally begin to leave the past behind and start rebuilding afresh from a much stronger foundation.

On September 18th we have the second exact alignment of the current Jupiter-Uranus conjunctions. This is an exciting aspect, but very different from the last one in June which was in dynamic Aries. This time, both planets are retrograde, with Uranus in Pisces and Jupiter back in Pisces. The best approach for this one might be to deal with unfinished business around your hopes, dreams and ideals and re-assessing and re-aligning them in terms of your current reality. These themes are particularly in the spotlight on the 21st when the Sun in Virgo opposes the conjunction.

Venus, Mars and the Sun

In terms of the faster moving planets, Venus and Mars, who have spent most of August travelling in tandem in friendly, relationship oriented Libra, move into Scorpio on the 8th and 14th respectively. Passion and intensity are the key words for these placements, with Mars gaining the upper hand in his traditional ‘home’ sign. This placement is surely about stepping up and fighting for love or for a cause or for anything you feel passionately about. The two love planets continue to stick together throughout September, until Venus turns Retrograde in early October.

Then, on the 22nd, the Sun moves into Libra, marking the Equinox. See Libra Equinox - What Will the Next Three Months Bring? 

September’s Lunations

September 8th: A Super New Moon in Virgo
A time to rest, plan and sort your head out

September 15th: First Quarter Moon in Sagittarius
A time to take action on plans hatched at the New Moon…along with the need to ensure those plans remain flexible!

September 23rd: Full Moon in Aries
Everything becomes clearer. Pay off or pay back for actions taken during the New Moon and First Quarter Moons.

October 1st: Last Quarter Moon
Time to tie up any loose ends and make final adjustments to actions and projects, before slowing down for the next New Moon on 7th October.

For September's Void of Course Moon times and sign changes see: http://www.mandilockley.com/moonpages.html

September is one of my favourite months, harvest time and back to school time. I hope you have a great one.

Mandi
http://www.mandilockley.com/

  Important Update   I have now moved my content to YouTube & you can view my channel,  On Purpose Astrology, by clicking on this link  ...